IN CHRIST THE
WHOLE OF HUMANITY WILL BE BLESSED Vatican City, 1 April 2012 (VIS) -
Benedict XVI today opened Holy Week celebrations by celebrating Mass for Palm
Sunday in St. Peter's Square, in the presence of 60,000 faithful.The Pope
went by popemobile to the altar, situated under the obelisk of St. Peter's
Square which was decorated with branches, flowers and thirteen olive trees from
the Italian region of Puglia."Palm Sunday", said the Holy Father in his
homily, "is the great doorway leading into Holy Week, the week when the Lord
Jesus makes His way towards the culmination of His earthly existence. He goes up
to Jerusalem in order to fulfil the Scriptures and to be nailed to the wood of
the Cross, the throne from which He will reign forever, drawing to Himself
humanity of every age and offering to all the gift of redemption".The Pope
dwelt on the episodes associated with Christ's entry into Jerusalem: the healing
of blind Bartimaeus and the enthusiasm of the crowds who cried: “Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”. "This festive acclamation,
reported by all four evangelists, is a cry of blessing, a hymn of exultation: it
expresses the unanimous conviction that, in Jesus, God has visited His people
and the longed-for Messiah has finally come. And everyone is there, growing in
expectation of the work that Christ will accomplish once He has entered the
city"."But", the Holy Father added, "what is the content, the inner
resonance of this cry of jubilation? The answer is found throughout Scripture,
which reminds us that the Messiah fulfils the promise of God’s blessing, God’s
original promise to Abraham, father of all believers: “I will make of you a
great nation and I will bless you ... and by you all the families of the earth
shall bless themselves”. ... Hence He Whom the crowd acclaims as the blessed one
is also He in Whom the whole of humanity will be blessed. Thus, in the light of
Christ, humanity sees itself profoundly united and, as it were, enfolded within
the cloak of divine blessing, a blessing that permeates, sustains, redeems and
sanctifies all things".Therefore the primary message of today’s feast is
"the invitation to adopt a proper outlook upon all humanity, on the peoples who
make up the world, on its different cultures and civilisations. The look that
the believer receives from Christ is a look of blessing: a wise and loving look,
capable of grasping the world’s beauty and having compassion on its fragility.
Shining through this look is God’s own look upon those He loves and upon
Creation, the work of His hands"."Who is Jesus of Nazareth for us? What idea
do we have of the Messiah, what idea do we have of God? It is a crucial
question, one we cannot avoid, not least because during this very week we are
called to follow our King Who chooses the Cross as His throne. We are called to
follow a Messiah Who promises us, not a facile earthly happiness, but the
happiness of heaven, divine beatitude.We must ask ourselves what our true
expectations are, the Pope said addressing young people also for the occasion of
today's World Youth Day. "May Palm Sunday be a day of decision for you, the
decision to say yes to the Lord and to follow Him all the way, the decision to
make His Passover, His death and resurrection, the very focus of your Christian
lives. It is the decision that leads to true joy, as I reminded you in this
year’s World Youth Day Message – “Rejoice in the Lord always”".Finally, the
Holy Father expressed the hope that these days may "call forth two sentiments in
particular: praise, after the example of those who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem
with their “Hosanna!”, and thanksgiving, because in this Holy Week the Lord
Jesus will renew the greatest gift we could possibly imagine: He will give us
His life, His body and His blood, His love. But we must respond worthily to so
great a gift, that is to say, with the gift of ourselves, our time, our prayer,
our entering into a profound communion of love with Christ Who suffered, died
and rose for us".Benedict XVI concluded his homily with the words of St.
Andrew, bishop of Crete: "So it is ourselves that we must spread under Christ’s
feet, not coats or lifeless branches or shoots of trees, matter which wastes
away and delights the eye only for a few brief hours. But we have clothed
ourselves with Christ’s grace, or with the whole Christ, ... so let us spread
ourselves like coats under His feet. ... Let us offer not palm branches but the
prizes of victory to the conqueror of death".

JOY IS A
CENTRAL ELEMENT OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE Vatican City, 1 April 2012 (VIS) -
At the end of this morning’s Mass for Palm Sunday, and before praying the
Angelus, the Pope reminded the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square that
today also marks World Youth Day (WYD) 2012. In this context he addressed a
special greeting to the organisers of WYD Madrid 2011 and WYD Rio de Janeiro
2013, who were present at the celebration and who have recently participated in
a congress in Rome."The theme of today's World Youth Day is St. Paul's
appeal to 'rejoice in the Lord always'", Benedict XVI said. "The joy arising
from the knowledge that God loves us is a central element of Christian
experience. In a world often characterised by sadness and anguish, this is an
important testimony of the beauty and reliability of the faith. Be joyful
witnesses of Christ!"

YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD SPEAK OF CHRIST
WITHOUT FEAR Vatican City, 2 April 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today
received in audience 5,000 young people from the archdiocese of Madrid, Spain,
accompanied by their archbishop Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela. They are
currently on a pilgrimage to Rome to thank the Pope for his trip to Spain during
last August's World Youth Day. Extracts from Benedict XVI's words to them are
given below."Whenever I recall the twenty-sixth World Youth Day in Madrid,
my heart is filled with gratitude to God for those unforgettable days. ... That
marvellous encounter can only be understood in the light of the presence of the
Holy Spirit in the Church, which never ceases to infuse hearts with
encouragement, and continually leads us out into the public square of history,
as happened at Pentecost, to bear witness to God's wonders. You are called to
cooperate in this edifying task. ... Christ needs you at His side to extend and
build His Kingdom of charity"."No one is superfluous to such an undertaking.
Therefore, never cease to ask yourselves what the Lord is calling you to do, and
how you can help Him. Each of you has a personal vocation which He has given you
for your own joy and sanctity. When a person is conquered by the fire of His
gaze, no sacrifice seems too great to follow Him and give Him the best of
ourselves. This is what the saints have always done, spreading the light of the
Lord ... and transforming the world into a welcoming home for
everyone"."Like the first Apostles, you too must be missionaries of Christ
among your relatives, friends and acquaintances, in the places where you study
and work, among the poor and the sick. Speak of His love and goodness with
simplicity, without fear. Christ Himself will give you the strength to do so.
For your part, listen to Him, interact with Him often and sincerely. Trustingly
tell Him of your desires and aspirations, of your own sufferings and those of
people you perceive without consolation or hope"."Yesterday we began Holy
Week, in which we will follow the footsteps of Christ. ... We will contemplate
His passion and humiliation unto death. ... I encourage you to take up your own
cross, the cross of the pain and sin of the world, so as to gain a better
understanding of Christ's love for humanity. Thus you will feel impelled to
proclaim the God Who loves men and women, and Who sent His Son, not to condemn
them, but for them to achieve a life of fullness and
meaning".

THE UNDYING ALLURE OF ST. CLARE OF ASSISI
Vatican City, 31 March 2012 (VIS) - Franciscans and Poor Clares throughout
the world are currently celebrating the "Clarian Year", the eighth centenary of
the "conversion" and consecration of St. Clare of Assisi (1193-1253) which took
place on Palm Sunday 1211 or 1212. For the occasion, Benedict XVI has written a
letter to Bishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi - Nocera Umbra - Gualdo Tadino,
Italy.The Pope recalls the life story of the founder of the Poor Clares.
Following St. Francis' advice, she attended Palm Sunday Mass dressed in all her
finery. She received a palm from the hands of the bishop then, later that night,
fled the house of her parents - who had been hoping to marry her to a wealthy
man - and went to the Porziuncola where St. Francis and his companions were
waiting for her. There Clare renounced the world, Francis cut her hair and she
adopted the black veil and rough sandals which became the first habit of the
Poor Clares.Clare's history "also speaks to our generation, and has a
particular fascination for the young", the Holy Father says. Francis had a good
reason for advising Clare to flee her parents' house at the beginning of Holy
Week. "All Christian life, and thus also consecrated life", he writes, "is the
fruit of the Paschal Mystery and of our participation in the death and
resurrection of Christ. In the Palm Sunday liturgy pain and glory come together,
a theme which will be developed over the following days through the dark night
of the Passion up to the ultimate light of Easter. With her choice Clare relived
this mystery"."At its most profound level, Clare's 'conversion' is a
conversion of love. No longer would she have the refined dress of the Assisan
aristocracy, but an elegance of soul expressed in praise of God and giving of
self. Day by day a fraternity came into being within the confines of the
monastery of San Damiano, at the school of the Eucharistic Christ, ... a
fraternity regulated by love of God and prayer, by concern for others and
service. It was in this context of profound faith and great humanity that Clare
came to interpret the Franciscan ideal, imploring the 'privilege' of poverty and
renouncing even the shared possession of material goods, something which left
even the Supreme Pontiff perplexed, until in the end he too surrendered to the
heroism of her sanctity".The Holy Father continues: "How can we not present
St. Clare, and St. Francis, to the young people of today? The time dividing us
from these two saints has not lessened their allure. Quite the contrary, their
contemporary importance is evident in the face of the illusions and delusions
which often mark the life of modern youth. Never has a time caused the young to
dream so much, with the multiple attractions of a life in which everything seems
possible and permissible. And yet, how much dissatisfaction exists, how many
times the search for happiness and self-realisation follows paths which lead to
artificial paradises such as those of drugs and unbridled sensuality. And the
current situation, with the difficulty of finding dignified work and forming a
united and happy family, adds further clouds to the horizon."Yet", the Pope
adds in conclusion, "there is no lack of young people who, even in our own
times, accept the invitation to entrust themselves to Christ and to face the
journey of life courageously, responsibly and hopefully, choosing even to leave
everything to follow Him and serve their brethren. The story of Clare, with that
of Francis, is an invitation to reflect upon the meaning of life and to seek the
secret of true joy in God. It is concrete proof that those who accomplish the
will of God and trust in Him not only lose nothing, but discover the real
treasure which gives meaning to everything".

POPE TO
PRISONERS: WITH GOD'S HELP WE CAN RISE AGAIN WHEN WE HAVE FALLEN Vatican
City, 31 March 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a message to prisoners
detained in Rome's Rebibbia prison for the Way of the Cross they celebrated
there yesterday evening. The celebration, presided by Cardinal Agostino Vallini,
vicar general for the diocese of Rome, was attended by 300 prisoners, the
chaplain, Caritas volunteers, seminarians who offer daily service inside the
prison and numerous faithful from various parishes. The Pope made a pastoral
visit to the jail on 18 December last year. "I feel a particularly close
bond to this initiative", the Pope writes, "because I conserve in my heart the
memory of the visit I made to Rebibbia prison shortly before last Christmas. I
remember the faces I saw and the words I heard, all of which left a profound
mark on me"."I know that this Way of the Cross also seeks to be a sign of
reconciliation. In fact, as one of the prisoners said during our meeting, the
purpose of prison is to help us rise again after having fallen, it serves to
achieve reconciliation with ourselves, with others and with God, and so re-enter
society. When in the Way of the Cross we see Jesus fall to the ground - once,
twice, three times - we understand that He shared our human condition. The
weight of our sins caused Him to fall; but three times Jesus got up again and
continued the journey to Calvary. Thus, with His help, we too can rise from our
falls, and perhaps also help a brother to rise as well."But what gave Jesus
the strength to carry on?", the Pope asked. "He knew that the Father loved Him,
and this immense love, this infinite mercy of the heavenly Father, consoled Him
and was greater than the violence and abuse surrounding Him"."The great gift
that Jesus gave us with His Way of the Cross was this: He showed us that God is
infinite love, He is mercy and He carries the burden of our sins unto the end,
enabling us to rise again, to find reconciliation and rediscover peace. We too,
then, should not be afraid to follow our own 'way of the cross' to carry our
cross together with Jesus. He is with us"."With this hope, grounded in
faith, I trust that you will all live this coming Easter in the peace and joy
which Christ bought for us with His blood, and with great affection I impart
upon you my apostolic blessing".

BENEDICT XVI SENDS AID
TO THE PEOPLE OF SYRIA AND CUBA Vatican City, 31 March 2012 (VIS) - The
Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" today published a communique announcing that the
Pope has made a donation of 100,000 US dollars in support of the people of
Syria.The communique mentions the numerous appeals Benedict XVI has made for
an end to violence in Syria and for the opening of dialogue and reconciliation
between the conflicting parties, with a view to peace and the common good. The
Holy Father has also frequently exhorted the faithful to pray for those who
suffer. "Now", the communique says, "the Pope has chosen to donate the sum of
100,000 US dollars, through the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum', for the
charitable activities of the local Church in Syria in support of the suffering
population". In order to ensure the delivery of the aid, meetings have been
planned with His Beatitude Gregorios III Laham, president of the Assembly of the
Catholic Hierarchy in Syria, and with other representatives of the local
Church.Finally, the communique notes that, through her charity
organisations, the Catholic Church in Syria is currently involved in assistance
projects, particularly in the areas of Homs and Aleppo.On another front,
"Cor Unum" is to finance agricultural development projects in two Cuban
dioceses, according to today's "Osservatore Romano". This is the first concrete
result of Benedict XVI's recent apostolic visit to the island, on which he was
accompanied by Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor
Unum", who met with Cuban bishops to discuss possible initiatives in support of
the population. Two of the bishops, having informed the cardinal that they had
received State permission to work for and with farmers in their dioceses,
presented two projects which will be realised with the help of "Cor
Unum".

YOUNG PEOPLE MUST BE ROOTED IN THE FAITH TO MAKE A
MORE EFFECTIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIFE OF SOCIETY Vatican City, 2 April
2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, a press conference was
held to provide information on preparations for World Youth Day (WYD) 2013, due
to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 23 to 28 July 2013. The conference
was presented by Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council
for the Laity; Archbishop Orani Joao Tempesta O. Cist. of Sao Sebastiao do Rio
de Janeiro, and Msgr. Eduardo Pinheiro da Silva, president of the Brazilian
Episcopal Commission for Youth.In his remarks Cardinal Rylko expressed the
view that "WYD truly was a prophetic intuition on the part of Blessed John Paul
II, and marked a revolution in the field of youth pastoral care. ... And
Benedict XVI has explained how WYD opens up a new way of being Christian". Hence
the great efforts the Church makes in preparing these events, he
explained.With the Rio celebration, WYD is returning to Latin America,
twenty-six years after the first international WYD, held in Buenos Aires. Rio
2013 "will be part of the continental mission, which emerged from the meeting of
bishops of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) at Aparecida in 2007. At
the level of the universal Church, the Rio WYD will also be linked to this
year's Synod of Bishops on the theme of the new evangelisation". The cardinal
also noted that the WYD will be taking place during the Year of Faith. "The aim
of WYD", the cardinal explained, "is to increase faith among young people and
foment the mission. ... The main need of young people today is to be rooted in
the faith and in the great family of the Church, in order to be able to make a
greater and more effective contribution to the life of society".In
conclusion, the cardinal also mentioned this year's World Youth Day, which was
celebrated throughout the world at a diocesan level yesterday under the theme
"Rejoice in the Lord always". "Joy is a characteristic of WYDs", he said. "and
that is no coincidence because, if on the one hand young people seek happiness,
on the other the Church possesses in herself the treasure of true joy, which
arises from encountering Christ the Saviour".For his part Archbishop
Tempesta recalled that information on next year's WYD is available in five
languages on the website: www.rio2013.com.
The WYD page on Facebook and Twitter already has 600,000 followers, and bookings
for pilgrim groups will be open as of July this year.In conclusion the
archbishop of Rio noted that the Brazilian economy had improved in recent years,
and social differences had diminished. "WYD will", he said, "be an opportunity
to improve the Christian values of solidarity, justice, hope and courage among
the new generations".

CUBA: GOOD FRIDAY WILL BE A HOLIDAY
Vatican City, 2 April 2012 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Fr.
Federico Lombardi S.J. has released the following declaration concerning the
decision by the authorities in Cuba to make next Good Friday a holiday."The
fact that the Cuban authorities have immediately accepted the request made by
the Holy Father to President Raul Castro, declaring next Good Friday a holiday,
is certainly a very positive sign"."The Holy See hopes that this will
facilitate participation in religious celebrations and favour a happy Easter
holiday. It also hopes that the Holy Father's visit may continue to produce
fruits for the good of the Church and of all
Cubans".

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS Vatican City, 2 April
2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:- Archbishop Mark Benedict Coleridge
of Canberra and Goulburn, Australia, as archbishop of Brisbane (area 65,000,
population 2,760,007, Catholics 643,371, priests 239, permanent deacons 13,
religious 890), Australia.- Cardinal Angelo Comastri, vicar general of His
Holiness for Vatican City, as his special envoy to the closing celebrations of
the National Eucharistic Congress of Ukraine, due to be held in Lviv on 3 May,
sixth centenary of the establishment of the archiepiscopal and metropolitan see
of Lviv of the Latins.

A postage stamp issued by the Vatican Post office to
commemorate Easter 2012 - 'Christ is risen. Alleluia', has received a stamp of
approval from Great Britain. The 0.75c value Vatican City stamp shows a
magnificent picture of the Risen Christ, and includes the words: “Surrexit
Christus Alleluia MMXII”, together with the Keys of Peter.Released on a
special pictorial first day cover and postmarked in advance with an Easter
Sunday, 8 April 2012, pictorial handstamp, the stamp is on sale to pilgrims and
tourists at the Vatican Post Offices situated in St Peter’s Square. The stamp,
the postmark and the cover each display the Risen Christ - three very different
treatments of the defining event of Christian faith.

This particular
Vatican stamp and commemorative cover will be prized by stamp collectors and
non-collectors, Catholic and non-Catholic alike from around the world as a
beautiful memento of Rome and Easter 2012.

During a memorable Colloquium
“Britain and the Holy See: A Celebration of 1982 and the Wider Relationship”,
organised by the British Embassy, and held at the Venerable English College, in
Rome on Friday 30 March, I invited eight of the distinguished speakers to
autograph one of these covers.

That makes it a unique philatelic item -
signed by: H E Nigel Baker, British Ambassador to the Holy See; Mr Mark Pellew,
Ambassador to the Holy See 1998-2002; His Eminence Cardinal Keith O’Brien,
Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, President of the Bishops’ Conference of
Scotland; His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop Emeritus of
Westminster; the Most Rev Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster,
President of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales; The Rt Rev Bishop
Edwin Regan, Bishop of Wrexham; The Rt Rev Bishop Christopher Hill, Anglican
Bishop of Guildford; and Mgr Mark Langham of the Pontifical Council for the
Promotion of Christian Unity.

Anglican bishops sign with their sees as
their surnames, so we see “Christopher Guildford” written upwards to the left of
the reproduced painting from the Vatican Museum.

In the discerning world
of philately the Holy See enjoys a good reputation for the design and production
of its postage stamps, as also for its commemorative and first day covers.

Agenzia
Fides REPORT- Thirteen prisoners died in a clash between groups of prisoners and
the outbreak of a fire: which took place inside a prison in Sula, an industrial
city in the north of the country, where the prisoners barricaded themselves and
even denied access to the fire brigade and police. The Auxiliary Bishop of the
Diocese of San Pedro Sula, Monsignor Romulo Emiliani, went to the prison "to
negotiate, as the prisoners themselves asked" and he said, before entering the
prison, that " the authorities have known about this situation for a long time
and are not interested in prisons, this is a time bomb that will continue to
explode ".In the note sent to Fides we learn that the fire alarm was given
at noon yesterday, but after several hours no one could get close to San Pedro
Sula detention center. From the local media, we learn that there are prisoners
who died from the clash and others due to the fire. The Government, through the
Secretary of Security, Pompeo Bonilla, has only confirmed the figure of 13
deaths, without specifying the cause.The return of calm in the prison was
only possible thanks to the intervention of the Bishop, Monsignor Romulo
Emiliani, who mediated with inmates in order to put an end to internal conflict.
"They made peace, I am grateful to God because it was like a miracle, because
the situation was on the brink of total chaos", said Bishop Emiliani, revealing
that the prisoners assured him that for now "there will not be conflicts" and
they also asked the police to leave, which is what they did.Mgr. Emiliani
said that "at an appropriate time" the list of people who unfortunately died
will be officially released: "We cannot anticipate names, because the appeal of
the 2,400 inmates is being carried out in a place that is made to accomodate 800
people. There is lack of water in the prison. The water that was availabele was
used to extinguish the fire, by the prisoners themselves, and now we are asking
for drinking water, which is urgent", said the Bishop.There is a lot of
tension and concern among the general population and among the prisoners’
relatives, who immediately recalled the tragedy of February 14 in Comayagua
prison (see Fides 16/02/2012), where a fire killed more than 300 prisoners who
were confined in various areas of this prison. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 30/3/2012

NLD officials
call by-elections a victory for all the country's people

ucanews.com reporters, Mandalay and
KawhmuMyanmarApril 2, 2012

Aung San Suu Kyi mobbed by supporters after the
elections

National League for Democracy (NLD) officials are
today claiming a possible clean sweep following yesterday’s
by-elections.According to party spokesman Han Thar Myint, the NLD has won 43
out of 45 seats due to be contested in yesterday’s polls. One result in northern
Shan State is too early to call, while a candidate in one other seat was not
qualified to take part.“We are overjoyed the NLD has won most of the seats,”
Han Thar Myint told ucanews.com today.Official results are expected later
this week.Party leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who easily won her seat in Kawhmu
constituency, today called the polls a victory for the people of
Myanmar.“This is the people’s victory …. We won through a combination of
people’s spirit and strength. From today onwards, we must not think about the
win but instead we must start to work [towards reconciliation],” she said in a
short speech outside the NLD Party headquarters in Yangon.In Mandalay,
thousands of supporters gathered in front of the NLD’s office, waving party
flags and hailing Suu Kyi. Others drover through the city’s streets until late
at night honking horns in celebration.Rival candidates congratulated the
unofficial winners and described the polls as being free and fair.U Than
Tun, a candidate from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) who
fought for the Maharaungmyae seat in Mandalay told ucanews.com today that he had
no complaints about the results.“I would like to congratulate the NLD on its
victory. It was a fair election and the competition was very tough,” he said,
adding he hoped that the new MPs would enter parliament and all work to help
develop the country and its people.The NLD had voiced concerns before the
polls over voter list irregularities and intimidation of candidates. The polls
are a key test of the country’s political reforms and could pave the way for the
easing of Western sanctions.Yesterday U Ohn Kyaing, the chief party
spokesperson and unofficial NLD winner in Maharaungmyae said that “some 1,000
people couldn’t cast their ballots as their IDs card numbers were wrong.”U
Myo Chit, the chairman of the local Election Commission admitted to ucanews.com
that some voters were unable to cast their ballots because of administrative
errors.“It’s was great so many people wanted to vote. But I’m sorry that
some couldn’t cast their ballots as there were some voter lists problems, which
probably were a result from our mistakes,” he said.http://www.ucanews.com/2012/04/02/suu-kyi-camp-claims-near-clean-sweep/

RUMBEK, March 30, 2012
(CISA) –The missionary congregation of the Holy Ghost Fathers, the
Spiritans, is ready to open its first mission in South Sudan.

This was revealed by the Superior of the
Spiritans in Kenya, Fr Martin Keane who has ministered in Kenya for over 40
years, in an interview with Good News Radio.

Fr Keane said that the Spiritans had resolved
to open their first mission in South Sudan with the pioneer members coming to
Rumbek Diocese last September, explaining that the move was postponed following
the death of the bishop of Rumbek last July.

He further said that dialogue is underway to
have the Spiritans in Rumbek Diocese in the course of this year, revealing that
two members would be ready to come in May and another two in October this
year.

Fr Keane also said that priority will be given
to learning the local language and the culture, adding that his confreres would
eventually evangelize through education.

Fr Keane went on to call on South Sudanese to
approach the process of development with patience, citing the example of Kenya
where the first years after independence recorded a rather slow process of
growth and development.

He also advocated for unity among the people of
South Sudan, encouraging a good relationship between the Church and the State
with the Church playing the role of being the conscience of the nation.

Meanwhile, the Diocesan Administrator of Rumbek
Diocese, Fr Fernando Colombo welcomed the decision by the Spiritans to join
other missionaries in the service of evangelization, explaining that the diocese
is still in the stage of first evangelization and that it is in need of
missionaries.

Founded in France, there are three thousand
Spiritans ministering in all the five continents of the world and several
islands. They are guided by the mission to work in places where the Church has
difficulty finding pastoral agents and especially contexts of first
evangelization.

Monday 2 April 2012By Ian GaudryA large crowd gathered at St Patrick's
Cathedral on Sunday 25 March for the annual Walk with Mary Mass and procession
to St Paul's Cathedral.

The unique event commemorates one of the most
important feasts in the Church: the Annunciation when Jesus Christ became
incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Virgin.

Bishop Peter Elliott was the
principal celebrant at the Mass, which was attended by Anglican Bishop Peter
Danaher from Geelong. Both bishops participated in the procession, and at St
Paul's Cathedral Bishop Danaher also gave an excellent homily. The procession
was a colourful and spiritually enriching experience with many priests,
families, Religious, parishioners and representatives of communities such as the
Chinese, Portuguese and the Tongan communities amongst many
others.

Sacred Heart Girls College, Oakleigh Choir did a wonderful work
by leading the singing. St Patrick's College Ballarat had the honour of carrying
the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham. Along the route the Rosary was recited
and the Lourdes hymn and other hymns sung.

Priests commented that they
felt the whole city of Melbourne being blessed by the procession and public
witness.

The Combined Societies of Mary wishes to thank all who
participated, and all who assisted in any way to help make the day such a
memorable occasion.

A grand celebration is now being planned for next
year, which will commemorate the 25th Walk With Mary.

Founder of the Order of Minims; b. in 1416, at Paula, in
Calabria, Italy; d. 2 April, 1507, at Plessis, France. His parents were
remarkable for the holiness of their lives. Remaining childless for some years
after their marriage they had recourse to prayer, especially commending
themselves to the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi. Three children were
eventually born to them, eldest of whom was Francis. When still in the cradle he
suffered from a swelling which endangered the sight of one of his eyes. His
parents again had recourse to Francis of Assisi, and made a vow that their son
should pass an entire year in the "little habit" of St Francis in one of the
convents of his order, a not uncommon practice in the Middle Ages. The child was
immediately cured. From his early years Francis showed signs of extraordinary
sanctity, and at the age of thirteen, being admonished by a vision of a
Franciscan friar, he entered a convent of the Franciscan Order in order to
fulfil the vow made by his parents. Here he gave great edification by his love
of prayer and mortification, his profound humility, and his prompt obedience. At
the completion of the year he went with his parents on a pilgrimage to Assisi,
Rome, and other places of devotion. Returning to Paula he selected a retired
spot on his father's estate, and there lived in solitude; but later on he found
a more retired dwelling in a cave on the sea coast. Here he remained alone for
about six years giving himself to prayer and mortification.

In 1435 two companions joined him in his retreat, and to
accommodate them Francis caused three cells and a chapel to be built: in this
way the new order was begun. The number of his disciples gradually increased,
and about 1454, with the permission of Pyrrhus, Archbishop of Cosenza, Francis
built a large monastery and church. The building of this monastery was the
occasion of a great outburst of enthusiasm and devotion on the part of the
people towards Francis: even the nobles carried stones and joined in the work.
Their devotion was increased by the many miracles which the saint wrought in
answer to their prayers. The rule of life adopted by Francis and his religious
was one of extraordinary severity. They observed perpetual abstinence and lived
in great poverty, but the distinguishing mark of the order was humility. They
were to seek to live unknown and hidden from the world. To express this
character which he would have his disciples cultivate, Francis eventually
obtained from the Holy See that they should be styled Minims, the least of all
religious. In 1474 Sixtus IV gave him permission to write a rule for his
community, and to assume the title of Hermits of St. Francis: this rule was
formally approved by Alexander VI, who, however, changed their title into that
of Minims. After the approbation of the order, Francis founded several new
monasteries in Calabria and Sicily. He also established convents of nuns, and a
third order for people living in the world, after the example of St. Francis of
Assisi.

He had an extraordinary gift of prophecy: thus he foretold
the capture of Otranto by the Turks in 1480, and its subsequent recovery by the
King of Naples. Also he was gifted with discernment of consciences. He was no
respecter of persons of whatever rank or position. He rebuked the King of Naples
for his ill-doing and in consequence suffered much persecution. When Louis XI
was in his last illness he sent an embassy to Calabria to beg the saint to visit
him. Francis refused to come nor could he be prevailed upon until the pope
ordered him to go. He then went to the king at Plessis-les-Tours and was with
him at his death. Charles VIII, Louis's successor, much admired the saint and
during his reign kept him near the court and frequently consulted him. This king
built a monastery for Minims at Plessis and another at Rome on the Pincian Hill.
The regard in which Charles VIII held the saint was shared by Louis XII, who
succeeded to the throne in 1498. Francis was now anxious to return to Italy, but
the king would not permit him, not wishing to lose his counsels and direction.
The last three mouths of his life he spent in entire solitude, preparing for
death. On Maundy Thursday he gathered his community around him and exhorted them
especially to have mutual charity amongst themselves and to maintain the rigour
of their life and in particular perpetual abstinence. The next day, Good Friday,
he again called them together and gave them his last instructions and appointed
a vicar-general. He then received the last sacraments and asked to have the
Passion according to St. John read out to him, and whilst this was being read,
his soul passed away. Leo X canonized him in 1019. In 1562 the Huguenots broke
open his tomb and found his body incorrupt. They dragged it forth and burnt it,
but some of the bones were preserved by the Catholics and enshrined in various
churches of his order. The Order of Minims does not seem at any time to have
been very extensive, but they had houses in many countries. The definitive rule
was approved in 1506 by Julius II, who also approved a rule for the nuns of the
order. The feast of St. Francis of Paula is kept by the universal Church on 2
April, the day on which he died.